Corsica Genoese (1284-1729)

The Genoese are going to try to conquer Corsica a long war begins. Not being able to penetrate the inside of the island it settled on the coasts and built Bastia in 1383, St-Florent in 1440, Ajaccio in 1492, and Porto Vecchio in 1539. The genoese control a colonization policy of the population and install the Genoese families in the cities. They have watch-towers built around the island, we count about 19.

To conquer the resistance towards 1347, the Genoese encourage the people to revolt against the Lords. Sambucucciu d’Alandu took the lead of the movement. In the "Cismonte" (which comes from to words Land of Commons) the land become the property of the communities while the Lords re-establish their authority in the "Pumonti" (above the mountains-Land of the Lords).

In 1405 Vincent d’Istria (allied to the King of Aragon) tried to overtake Corsica from the Genoese. He was named Vice King of Corsica in 1420 and moved in to Biguglia which then became the capital of Corsica. But in 1433, while he was strongly up raising the taxes the people revolted and made him escape to Sicily. In his attempt to run away ,he was in prison by the Genoese then decapitated the 27 of April 1434.

In 1453 Genoa gave Corsica to a private Genoese bank, which was rich and strong. "The Saint George" office. It tried to administer the Island to defend it and maintained order and justice but its main goal was to get the most profit possible. After great disorder Genoa took back the administration in 1562.

In 1571 the new Genoese governor George Doria gave general amnesty and published Civil and Criminal states of Corsica.

From the middle of the 17th century, at the time of the rise of France to all of Europe the financial pressure of the Genoese state became too difficult to stand. Genoa preferred agriculture and closed of properties, which confined grazing areas for breeding. The nomad breeders became from this fact, main actors of the Corsican revolution.